Electric terminal-clamp



A. C. BECKER.

ELECTRIC TERMINAL CLAMP. APPLICATION FILED AUG.26. 1919.

Patented Dec. 28 1920.

ADOLEH C. BECKER, 0F OAKVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHASE COMPANIES INC, 0F WATERBUEY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION.

ELECTRIC TERMINAL-CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920..

Application filed August 26, 1919. Serial No. 319,914.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, AooLrH G. Recline, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakville, in the county of Litchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Terminal-Clamps; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application, and represent, in-v Figure 1, a view in front elevation showing my improved terminal-clamp, as in use upon a binding-post mounted in one form of terminal-cap.

Fig. 2, a view thereof showing the clamp in vertical section, the binding-post and terminal-cap being represented in elevation.

Fig. 3, a view in transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4, a detached view in front elevation of the clamp.

Fig. 5, a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of one of the modified forms which my improved clamp may assume.

F Fig. 6, a view thereof on the line 66 of y invention relates to an improved electrical terminal-clamp for electric fixtures, the object being to produce a simple, cheap, convenient, reliable and efficient clamp to take the place of the nuts commonly used on the binding posts of electric batteries, spark-plugs and kindred electric fixtures.

With these ends in view, my invention consists in a unitary electric terminal-clamp adapted to be applied to a binding post and comprising a threaded mounting-member, a spring-member, a clamping-member, and a finger-piece, the said clamping-member and finger-piece being shaped to provide an open wire-receiving space when the fin eriece is placed under pressure.

y invention further consists in certain details of construction as will be hereinafter described. 7

Tn carrying out my invention, as herein shown, I produce from a single piece" of short-metal, an electric terminal-clamp comprising a conical mounting or base-member 7, abowed spring-member 8, a clamping-memher 9, and a finger-piece 10, which latter forms an extension of the said clamping-member and is turned outwardly with respect thereto. The said mounting or base-member 7 is centrally threaded to adapt the clamp to be screwed upon the binding post 11, which, as shown, is mounted in a sheet-metal terminal-cap 12, which, for my present purpose maybe assumed to represent a part of any electric fixture. The bowed spr1ng-member 8 of the clamp offsets from the edge of the mounting-member 7 thereof and is bent over the same into substantially the plane thereof and formed with a perforation 13 for the upward passage through it of the bindingpost 11. The clamping-member 9 of the clamp consists of an arm extending upwardly from the spring-member 8 at about a right angle to the plane of the mountingmember 7 alongside of that side of the post 11 opposite the bowed portion of the springmember 8. The finger-piece 10 of the clamp is formed by bending the upper end of the clamping-member outward and downward substantially into the plane of the basemember 7, though this is not essential. It is essential, however, that the clamp be formed so that when it is mounted upon abinding-post,awire-receiving space 14: will be produced between the binding-post and the inner face of the clamping-member 9 for the reception of the terminal-wire 16' which is gripped between the said face and the threads of the post which is thus made to discharge the double function of mounting the clamp upon the post, and of assisting in gripping the terminal-wire. The said clamping-member 9 and finger-piece 10 are shaped so that when pressure is applied to the latter, the open wire-receiving space 14 extending alongside the binding-post will be produced. This space being open at its outer end, the wire may be dropped into it. If preferred, and as herein shown, the perforation 13 is extended into the clampingmember 9 so as to form a slot 17 facing the adjacent face of the binding-post. This is not necessary, but it increases the girl of the clamping-member upon the terminalwire in case a soft or-fine terminal wire 18 is used as shown in Fig. 3, the spring of the clamp operating as herein shown to force a portion of the terminal-wire into the slot 17, and thus make a bend in the terminal wire which amounts in effect to a bight. Or, if preferred, the said clamping-face may be struck outwardly as shown in Figs. 5 and 6,7so as to form a depression 19 extending in line with the binding-post and serving the same purpose as the slot 17. In any case, the wire, by extending transversely across the clamping-member of the clamp, prevents the clamp from turning on the binding-post to which the wire virtually anchors the clamp. This result is effected without twisting the wire around the clamp, as is sometimes done when a clamping-nut is used, to prevent the nut from turning loose.

I claim A unitary electric terminal-clamp adapted to be applied to a binding-post and consisting of a single piece of sheet-metal comprising a conical base centrally threaded for application to a binding-post, a bowed springmatinee member having an opening for the passage through it of the post, a clamping-member extending outward substantially parallel with the said post and in line with the axis of the said base, and a finger-piece extending outward with respect to the clamping-member, whereby when pressure is applied to the finger-piece, an' open wire-receiving space into which the terminal-wire may be dropped, is produced between the clampingmember and the post.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ADOLPH G. BECKER.

Witnesses J. S. NnAeLE, Roan-RT A. Wa'mns. 

